The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren—A Synopsis (continued). Chapter 34—Thinking Like a Servant (pages 265-271) Summary If a believer’s service to God is to have eternal merit, it must be done in the right attitude. God is more interested in the why of service than the number and type of service. Real servants employ the following five God-approved attitudes in their service: 1. Focus on others. Service is not to be performed as a manipulation, a self-serving means to become popular; or as a bargaining tool with God, a self-serving means to acquire God’s favor. Real service employs self-forgetfulness; it is thinking of oneself less and others more. This is contrary to “human nature,” which is to be selfish and self-serving. Humility is the hallmark of servanthood, which comes over time and with many experiences as one assimilates God’s Word and endeavors to serve. 2. Think as stewards, not owners. An attitude based on the accumulation and ownership of material things (money and all that it can buy in life) is counterproductive to real service for God. A real servant understands that God owns everything and that he exists only to manger God’s assets. As far as his “secular” life is concerned, a real servant of God is a Kingdom Builder, one who makes money in order to give more to God’s purposes; he is not a Wealth Builder, one who makes money for selfish purposes. 3. Concentrate on their work, not the work of others. Real servants are not critical of, nor do they evaluate, the service of other believers. They realize that is God’s job. They are so busy ministering that they have no time for anything but their own responsibilities and service. They wish only to make God look good, never themselves. Besides, other believers are part of their spiritual family in Christ whom they unselfishly love. Real servants also realize that part and parcel of serving God is to endure criticism, but they know it is fruitless to defend against such attack; they leave all defenses up to God. 4. Identify with Christ. Real servants maintain a rock-solid (secure) self-image, no matter the significance or menial quality of their assigned service. They aren’t consumed with status symbols such as personal titles, awards and achievements; they see themselves as in Christ, which assures them of full approval before God. They have no doubt of this and therefore are never worried about how others may think of them. 5. Perceive opportunity, not obligation. Real servants are not legalistic in their ministry. They do not serve to meet some obligation, because all service to them is a glorious opportunity to please God, which will have both temporal (self-fulfillment and personal joy) and eternal (rewards) results. Quotes “God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do. Attitudes count more than achievements.” (pg. 265) “This is true humility: not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less.” (pg. 265) “You can’t be a servant if you’re full of yourself.” (pg. 266) “Self-denial is the core of servanthood.” (pg. 266) “Servants remember that God owns it all. In the Bible, a steward was a servant entrusted to manage an estate.” (pg. 266) “Money has the greatest potential to replace God in your life.” (pg. 267) “The Bible is very clear: God uses money to test our faithfulness as a servant. That is why Jesus talked more about money than He did about either heaven or hell.” (pg. 267) “We’re all on the same team; our goal is to make God look good, not ourselves; we’ve been given different assignments; and we’re all uniquely shaped.” (pg. 268) “When you’re busy serving, you don’t have time to be critical. . . . It is not our job to evaluate the Master’s other servants.” (pg. 268) “If you serve like Jesus, you can expect to be criticized. . . .Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless of what others say.” (pg. 269) “If you’re going to be a servant, you must settle your identity in Christ. Only secure people can serve. Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others.” (pg. 269) “Servants find status symbols unnecessary, and they don’t measure their worth by their achievements.” (pg. 270) Scriptures Numbers 14:24; Philippians 2:5; 2 Chronicles 25:2 Philippians 2:4, 7, 20, 21; Matthew 5:41; 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2; Luke 16:13, 11; Galatians 5:26; Romans 14:4; Nehemiah 6:3; Matthew 26:10, John 13:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 10:18; James 1:1; Psalm 100:2; John 12:26; Hebrews 6:10. Conclusion/Comments To be a real servant requires right thinking. To “think right” is to humbly and continuously think (1) more about others than about oneself, (2) like a steward and not an owner, (3) about one’s own work and not the work of others, (4) as a secure and approved child of God “in Christ,” and (5) that every service to God is an opportunity and not a legalistic obligation.